Ethereal
by liketolaugh
Summary: The Phantomhive family was special. Undeniably human, but very, very special, and many fell victim to their Pied Pipe. Because each and every one of them was spellbinding... Ethereal, one could say...
1. Madam Red

**A/N: OK, here's this. I'm sure lots of you want to kill me for not updating a different story rather than making a new one, but this is more of a side project. Honest!**

**Title: Ethereal**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: K+**

**Pairings: Rachel/Vincent, onesided Madam Red/Vincent, and onesided various!characters/Ciel**

**Genre: Oh, god, I don't know. Family/Romance?**

**Warnings: This could easily be counted as excessive fangirling... that wasn't my intention. Promise! Oh, and implied pedophilia, too.**

**Summary: The darkly enticing Vincent Phantomhive came first. Then was the bright, happy Rachel Phantomhive. And finally the purely enchanting son, Ciel. But they all shared one quality. They were spellbinding - ethereal, one could say...**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

Baron Kelvin was not the first to admire the untouchable wonder of the Phantomhives. No, he was far from it, indeed.

The first of the many realized it even before Ciel was born, actually. The first was none other than Madam Red.

_When she first laid her eyes on that man, she was enchanted by the mere sight of him. His eyes spoke of a deep intelligence. The smallest of smiles decorated his face and a slight tilt of his head communicated a keen interest. His posture was flawless, but somehow warm and welcoming._

_And then he spoke and she went from enchanted to completely, hopelessly ensnared. "How do you do?" His voice was smooth and perfectly polite, without the cold, impersonal quality almost always associated with the tone. Angelina knew that this was the man she wanted to marry, because if even one thing was changed about the man in front of her, it would be for the worse. He couldn't possibly be any more perfect._

So enchanted was she by the preternatural elegance of Vincent Phantomhive that she at first wished to marry the older man. Because he was perfect, otherworldly, a fallen dark angel. She wished to join him as a Phantomhive.

_Earl Phantomhive had liked her red hair. Had called her pretty. So maybe if she made it show more, he would choose her, and then she would be happy. He liked red. He had said that red suited her, so she wore it as often as she could, and grew to love the color, because she associated it with Vincent Phantomhive._

_She cut her hair and the next time she saw him looked at him hopefully. He smiled at her and she was happy. She continued to do so, keeping her hair short in front, wearing the red he seemed to like, day after day, hoping that one day he would grow to love her, too._

But she could not, because she did not fit. It was not until she saw her sister, standing beside the man of her dreams at the altar, that she could truly accept it – she simply didn't have the ethereal quality that her sister did, that he did. But the striking magnificence of Vincent was only enhanced by the bright beauty of her sister – the sharp contrast making both shine all the brighter.

_Angelina watched with a sad smile as Vincent, the man she so wanted to marry, and her sister leaned over, each smiling happily, and signed the little paper without even a moment's pause. And who could truly blame them for their conviction? The man virtually shimmered with a dark, dangerous grace, an enticing warning, while the new Lady Phantomhive shone with a bright, pure, delighted glow. They complimented each other in the way only they could. One could see, with barely a glance, that they were the perfect fit, the perfect couple._

Then their son – their adorable, spellbinding son – joined them and she realized that she had never been good enough to be a Phantomhive.

_Angeline watched. That was all she could ever really do, in the end. Vincent had come to visit his wife and son – having made as hasty an escape as he could manage from the meeting he had been attending. Which meant that he had to wait for it to finish while pushing it along as much as possible without appearing rude. Not an easy task._

_Still, he had finally made it and Angelina could only watch as Vincent knelt next to her sister and tenderly took the newborn baby from Rachel's hands. That was when she realized that their child had the very same enhancing quality of the other two Phantomhives, fitting right in and making the family ever more perfect._

_That was when she knew that she could never have been a Phantomhive._

Madam Red was the first to realize this.

* * *

**So yeah... I hope that was alright. I don't have any set-in-stone plans for this, but I also intend to do one for Soma, Sebastian, Lau, Alois, and Claude. Probably others, too. Not Baron Kelvin, though. Please review! I'm open to suggestions!**


	2. Edward Midford

**A/N: And the next chapter. Good news, I got another idea for a story. Bad news, it wasn't one of the ones I should probably be updating. UGH. I'm working on it, I promise!**

**Title: Ethereal**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: K+**

**Pairings: Rachel/Vincent, onesided Madam Red/Vincent, and onesided various!characters/Ciel, Ciel/Elizabeth**

**Genre: Oh, god, I don't know. Family/Romance?**

**Warnings: This could easily be counted as excessive fangirling... that wasn't my intention. Promise! Oh, and implied pedophilia, too.**

**Summary: The darkly enticing Vincent Phantomhive came first. Then was the bright, happy Rachel Phantomhive. And finally the purely enchanting son, Ciel. But they all shared one quality. They were spellbinding - ethereal, one could say...**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

Not all those who were stricken by the sight of the Phantomhives liked them, though. In fact, the very next victim was Edward Midford, well known for his strong dislike of the youngest Phantomhive.

Edward had first met the family soon after Ciel and Elizabeth's marriage was arranged.

_"Now, listen well, Edward. This is very important, so be sure to make nice with the Phantomhives," his mother had told him firmly, fussing over his and Elizabeth's appearances._

_Edward sighed, trying vainly to bat away his mother's hands. "Yes, mother."_

_Their unusually tense father jumped as the carriage slowed to a stop. "Oh, we're here!"_

_In front of them, the large, illustrious Phantomhive manor loomed._

There, he and his family (or his sister, anyway) had met the Phantomhives for the first time, and Edward was stricken by the aura they gave off.

_They were early, as usual, and the Phantomhives weren't quite prepared for them when Tanaka showed them in. Rachel (Lady Phantomhive, Edward reminded himself) was, like his own mother only minutes before, fussing over Ciel, trying to make him look neater, while Lord Phantomhive was kneeling in front of his son to talk to him at eye level. The little boy was nodding, frustrating his mother as she tried to arrange his hair better._

_That, in itself, would have been fairly normal. Should have been fairly normal. But with this family... it _wasn't.

_Because each one of them, despite their slightly flustered look, gave off an unforgettable, unearthly air. An air of unattainable perfection. Lady Phantomhive's frustration only served to highlight her face, Lord Phantomhive retained an air of dignity even on his knees, and the still slightly messy boy was still enchantingly cute._

_Edward looked down at his adorable, fidgeting sister, and somehow, he knew that if she married Ciel, Elizabeth would become **one of them.**_

_Otherworldly, beautiful, but completely out of reach._

_He knew, in that moment, that he didn't want his sister to be a Phantomhive._

To protect his sister from that fate was a task he set himself to for years afterward, even as he watched his sister grow up. And as she grew up, she grew to be like them - grew into a perfection greater than that of a little china doll.

In the end, it was all for naught. After he was witness to the couple's first kiss, he knew that, really, it was inevitable.

_His little sister smiled, and for once, so did Ciel. Slowly, in unison, both of them leaned forward, eyes closed, and their lips met._

In the end, Elizabeth was always going to be a Phantomhive.

* * *

**There you go! I know Edward is a little iffy, but I wanted to involve Elizabeth and I couldn't do her because she _is _(or will be, anyway) a Phantomhive, so I did this. Now we have an alternative explanation for Edward's irrational hatred of Ciel! Review? Please?**


	3. Queen Victoria

**A/N: You know, why you all like this thing is beyond me. When I posted it, I thought it was a piece of crap. ...Actually, I still think it's a piece of crap. *shrug* But you all like it, so far be it from me to stop writing it. I'll have all of you know, though, that this began - and still is - just an unabashed outlet for my fangirling. Though I maintain that it wasn't intended to be excessive. It does have plot. Kind of.**

**Title: Ethereal**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: K+**

**Pairings: Rachel/Vincent, onesided Madam Red/Vincent, and onesided various!characters/Ciel, Ciel/Elizabeth**

**Genre: Oh, god, I don't know. Family/Romance?**

**Warnings: This could easily be counted as excessive fangirling... that wasn't my intention. Promise! Oh, and implied pedophilia, too.**

**Summary: The Phantomhive family was special. Undeniably human, but very, very special, and many fell victim to their Pied Pipe. Because each and every one of them was spellbinding... Ethereal, one could say...**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

Even the Queen wasn't immune to their charms.

She had known Vincent's parents before him, and they were, of course, extraordinary. But Vincent himself… Vincent was something else entirely.

**Flashback**

_Victoria sighed, looking down from her throne. The newest Phantomhive was now four years old, and it was time to meet him. How tedious. She honestly didn't much like meeting the nobles' children, but it was necessary._

_A knock came at the door and she sighed again._

_"Enter!"_

_The door opened, and she made herself look attentive as the trio of nobles entered. Her imperious gaze travelled over them, fully intending to say a few words of introduction and welcome, and then to send them on their way. But it didn't happen that way._

_Her gaze fell on Vincent Phantomhive and her disinterest fell away, as if cast aside by a spell. She knew instantly that she had never met anyone like him._

_His hazel eyes were fixed on her, a sly smile playing about his lips. One little hand held his mother's comfortably, and his father's hand rested on his shoulder. None of that, though, was what truly caught her attention._

_When he looked to his father for guidance, she could easily see a look in his eyes, a burning loyalty, unconditional and endless, something she had never seen in the finicky Phantomhive family before. This boy would do anything for his father. _Anything.

_She wanted that._

_Victoria couldn't take her eyes off of the little boy, whose gaze returned to her. She couldn't find it in herself to say a word. She wanted that loyalty. Vincent's, no other's, but _Vincent's_, unconditional loyalty. _She wanted it.

_His sly little smile widened. "Hello, Your Majesty."_

_Hazel eyes flashed and with this new goal set in her heart, she managed to speak. "Hello, Vincent Phantomhive."_

**End Flashback**

Queen Victoria had watched the boy grow into a man with keen interest, something that she had never before had in a noble's child. She had pulled strings to ease his path, presented him with challenges, and, in time, secured a slice of that unending loyalty for herself. When she finally succeeded, she had only rarely felt so accomplished in her life. For the first time in a long time, her King of the Underworld was well and truly loyal to her.

Well, to a certain extent – but that, to her, was more than enough.

Vincent eventually married, a small child she actually remembered meeting. She met another Phantomhive, someone she at first believed was surely most unlike him, unworthy of notice. She was wrong.

She should have known that only someone extraordinary could catch another slice of his loyalty.

**Flashback**

_Victoria leaned back slightly, staring intently at the door in sharp contrast to her first meeting with Vincent._

_Today was the day that she would be meeting Vincent's wife. The woman who Vincent had found worthy of his love and his life._

_Once again, a knock came on the door. Once again, she called, "Enter!"_

_Vincent, of course, entered first, instantly catching her attention. He gave her a smile and a flicker of loyalty in his gaze warmed her, reminding her of what she had aimed for, what she had managed. She gave him a nod in return and he stepped aside to allow his wife passage._

_She was smiling, too. Her gaze, like Vincent's, was filled with emotion, but it was different. This was kindness and nervousness and honesty. This was sweetness and openness and just a hint of slyness. But it was no whirling vortex; they seemed almost harmonized, opposing emotions settling gently side by side, as though they belonged among each other, as if it were natural._

_Distantly, Victoria recalled meeting this child, and even then an echo of this had been in her wide-eyed blue gaze. She had caught her interest then._

_But she was fascinating now._

**End Flashback**

Of course, that was only the two of them. Seeing the evanescence of each of them, multiplied tenfold as a pair, Victoria drew them closer, waiting with bated breath for the child of this ethereal coupling. He came.

And he was nothing like she had expected.

**Flashback**

_For the third time, Victoria waited for doors to open, anticipating the arrival of the newest Phantomhive, but there were differences this time._

_No longer did Victoria wait for the Phantomhives in the throne room. No – they were no longer distant allies, a mere step above working for her, but friends. Rather, she waited in a sitting room, reserved for personal use, never for official business._

_There was no knock on the door this time, and the doors creaked open. The first to enter was, surprisingly, Rachel. Victoria frowned; Rachel was never the first to enter._

_Rachel smiled in greeting, seemingly taking no notice of the unusualness of the arrangement. Then she stepped aside, as Vincent had done years before, and allowed her husband past. At that moment, Victoria felt her breath leave her body in a whoosh, her eyes widening. No, little Ciel Phantomhive was not at all like she had imagined him._

_Victoria had known three generations of Phantomhives, and known them well. In that time, she had come to expect certain things in them. Cynical looks, even when young. Closed-off expressions. From Vincent's child, perhaps his sly smile, the same one she had seen that memorable day._

_But no. No, not at all. His sparkling blue eyes were wide with unanticipated – unprecedented – innocence. A shy, but bright smile lit up his features. By all appearances, he had nothing to hide, open and unwary. Then she looked closer._

_Appearances were deceiving, Victoria realized. For behind his veil of innocence lay everything, just beneath the surface, even more enchanting than the light. It was darkness and cynicism. It was wariness and deception and unabashed, vindictive glee. It was everything. And yet, it did not seem to contradict the pure light above it; instead it complemented it, making one unsure which was false, if either of them was a farce._

_Victoria wasn't sure, either._

_It was in that moment, sitting on her sitting room couch and looking at the trio, that Victoria knew that she had been wrong. Wrong in her previous, distant approach, wrong in her halfhearted attempts to grow close to the elder Phantomhives._

_The only way, she realized, to have someone so special was to give it your all, because to not give your all was to not truly realize what was right in front of you. What a treasure they were, to see but not to touch, to have but not to hold._

_That was how one approached a Phantomhive, she realized._

**End Flashback**

Queen Victoria had thought, and she had made a decision.

She invited the boy to the castle often. She played with him, presented challenges before him, brought him to familiar terms with her. He quickly became her 'favorite'; many of the palace's guards soon knew him on sight.

In the end, it all paid off. He was close to her, but not too close; he was near, but not with. Friends, but not quite (but almost, so very close) family. She had gained that precious loyalty, a small share of what she wanted. But him?

He gained a far larger share of hers.

And she couldn't even bring herself to regret it.

* * *

**Eh. Is it just me, or was that one rather sub-par? *shrug* It could just be me. Anyway, this one's only at the end for now, so that people aren't confused. As soon as the next chapter is up, it's going to be moved to just after Edward's chapter. OK? OK. Remember, I take suggestions - It wouldn't have even occurred to me to do the Queen's chapter if it wasn't requested! Please review!**


	4. Undertaker

**A/N: Here we go. I'm not sure how many, if any, of you were looking forward to this one, but I work with where I get my random inspiration, OK? Got that? Good.**

**Title: Ethereal**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: K+**

**Pairings: Rachel/Vincent, onesided Madam Red/Vincent, and onesided various!characters/Ciel, Ciel/Elizabeth**

**Genre: Oh, god, I don't know. Family/Romance?**

**Warnings: This could easily be counted as excessive fangirling... that wasn't my intention. Promise! Oh, and implied pedophilia, too.**

**Summary: The darkly enticing Vincent Phantomhive came first. Then was the bright, happy Rachel Phantomhive. And finally the purely enchanting son, Ciel. But they all shared one quality. They were spellbinding - ethereal, one could say...**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

The next victim of the family's spell was, oddly, as everything to do with the reaper was, Undertaker.

Undertaker had actually met Vincent Phantomhive years before he became truly enamored with the Phantomhive family.

_Undertaker looked up as someone entered his shop and frowned. There was only a single, live person, not looking mournful at all, merely businesslike, perhaps somewhat passively interested as he looked around._

_Then he took a second look at the man._

_He was very human, that much was immediately obvious. But the distinction was blurred as the man moved toward him with preternatural grace and a completely devilish smile, perfect enough as to be made of plastic, but warm enough to not._

_"Hello to you, Mister Undertaker," the man greeted, his voice matching with the rest of him, joining in his imitation of a devil. "May I ask for a moment of your time?"_

_"Certainly," chuckled Undertaker, looking intently at the odd man. "What is it you were wanting? You don't look like anyone has died, and that is my business, you know." He cackled._

_The man didn't even look a bit perturbed. "Actually, someone has died. I was curious as to if you could tell me about one Jane Adams. Brought in this morning, covered in blood." His eyes, glittering with interest and a touch of amusement, belied his aggrieved sigh. "Could you possibly tell me anything about it?"_

_Undertaker examined the human before him. He acted very demonic for a human. "Well..." he considered, drawing out the word. "I suppose I could tell you... for a price."_

Even then, he had been fascinated with him. How could someone so pure be so dark? How could someone so kind be so cruel?

How could someone so very human be so very demonic?

And so, pursuing answers to these questions, he had opened an underworld business alongside his job as an Undertaker. He became an informant, rapidly becoming one of the most useful contacts to have, and therefore, one of Vincent's contacts. He saw Vincent at least twice a month, but still, he did not unravel the mystery behind the man.

_"Back again, Lord Phantomhive?" Undertaker chuckled._

_Vincent smiled wryly. "Indeed. Her Majesty is keeping me extremely busy. I trust you have what I need?"_

_"Of course," cackled Undertaker. "You know what I want."_

_Vincent sighed, thinking for a moment. Then he smiled and started to speak, voice light with humor and shadowed with dark amusement like that of a devil - reminding Undertaker just why he did this, and that Lord Vincent Phantomhive always eluded every attempt to understand him. He laughed._

Then Rachel Phantomhive came as well, and she, too, interested him, because she was the sweet angel to Vincent's tempting devil. The two, so inherently different, should never have gotten along, and yet they did, because they were so intrinsically similar.

_"Undertaker?" Vincent called, entering the shop. "I have someone for you to meet."_

_Undertaker - otherwise occupied in the back room - cackled. "Welcome," he greeted, his voice echoing delightfully. He looked out, seeing a blonde woman looking around, somewhat frightened, and standing very close to the Lord Phantomhive indeed. "I see..." He came out, and his voice stopped echoing. The woman was pale with fright, but hadn't run, or even screamed. Point for her. "You have a lovely lady friend now." He held out a cookie with another cackle, offering it to her._

_She took it, her frightened face fading into a sweet smile, innocent, yet not. "Thank you. I take it you're Mister Undertaker?"_

_"I am," snickered Undertaker._

_"It is very nice to meet you, Mister Undertaker."_

_"And you as well, Lady Phantomhive."_

_So his human devil had found himself an angel, eh?_

The pair, each enhanced into supernatural perfection by the mere presence of the other, tempted him along, drawing him closer, captivating him. But it was their little son, his little lord from the day Undertaker first saw him, who claimed Undertaker, enchanting him, making the centuries-old reaper his own with just one sweet smile.

_For once, Vincent hadn't knocked before Undertaker heard him. Instead, Undertaker heard him speaking, just outside the door. "Come, Ciel. Undertaker is a good friend of mine, and someday, he may be a good friend of yours, too."_

_The door opened and Vincent was, as always, the first one in. At his shoulder was Rachel, and between them, looking down at his feet with nervousness, was an adorable little boy._

_"And who's this?" snickered Undertaker._

_"Undertaker, this is my son, Ciel," Vincent told him with a smile. "Ciel, this is my friend, Undertaker."_

_Ciel finally looked up from his feet, and gave Undertaker a breathtaking, angelic smile. "Hello, Mister Undertaker. How do you do?"  
_

_Undertaker was momentarily stunned. The angelic smile, stolen right off his mother's face, was completely contradicted by the shadows inherent in his eyes, that of a devil's. The shape and color might be from his mother, but the depths in them was entirely his father's demonic nature._

_This was a boy who was a devil. This was a boy who was an angel._

_This was a boy who was the impossible._

Because little Ciel Phantomhive was a conundrum. When he smiled, his little head would tilt in confusion, but his large blue eyes would sparkle with knowledge. When he laughed, the sound would bubble with joy and shadow with vindictiveness. When he spoke, his words rang with innocence, while his body language spoke of a dark nature.

Ciel enchanted Undertaker because he was the impossible, a joke on the supernatural world, just like his entire family. But Ciel most of all, combining the traits of a human, an angel, and a devil, the three most utterly different species to be found, made him laugh just by his mere existence, the impossibility of it all, because this angelic little human boy could never be mistaken for anything but a devil.

And Undertaker wanted, _needed, _to find out how.

He would follow the child to the ends of the earth to find out how.

* * *

**Here we go. Undertaker. Was that all right? It turned out strangely long, and possibly a bit out-of-character. Please let me know what you all thought! Please review!**


	5. Lau

**A/N: And Lau's! This one was... strangely difficult. Damn you, Lau! But he's up now, so yay.**

**Title: Ethereal**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: K+**

**Pairings: Rachel/Vincent, onesided Madam Red/Vincent, and onesided various!characters/Ciel, Ciel/Elizabeth**

**Genre: Oh, god, I don't know. Family/Romance?**

**Warnings: This could easily be counted as excessive fangirling... that wasn't my intention. Promise! Oh, and implied pedophilia, too.**

**Summary: The darkly enticing Vincent Phantomhive came first. Then was the bright, happy Rachel Phantomhive. And finally the purely enchanting son, Ciel. But they all shared one quality. They were spellbinding - ethereal, one could say...**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

Lau, too, became a victim of the Phantomhives' silent Pied Pipe. Like Undertaker, Lau met Vincent first. This time, however, Vincent was undercover.

**Flashback**

_Lau smiled placidly as he heard a knock on the door. He'd been told that a new drug dealer would be paying him a visit soon and to expect him. He had almost forgotten._

_The door opened and a man entered, turning to close the door behind him. When he turned around again and gave Lau a confident smirk, Lau opened his eyes just a slit, peering closer at the odd man. Because he obviously couldn't have seen right before._

_This man was no want-to-be drug dealer. He certainly looked the part – mock-expensive clothes, a too-cocky expression – but Lau was observant. This man moved with an enchanting, natural grace, and his stance clearly showed that he expected to get what he wanted, five minutes ago. This was a man who had been born into power. He would accept nothing less than the very best. His features – mysterious, aristocratic, and sly – held an ethereal quality, almost as though this man were a figure that had stepped out of Lau's drug-induced dreamland._

_This man intrigued Lau. He walked straight into Lau's den of sin, proud as a peacock. Though he was in a world clearly not his own – it was far too low for that – he showed no hint of uncertainty, only confidence._

_Lau would play along._

**End Flashback**

After Vincent had left, with Lau mysteriously one coworker short (not that he minded), Lau had run into the proud man again. Even he, perpetually half-suspended in dreams, had paused at the sight of that family. With the man had been a blonde-haired woman, smiling sweetly at Vincent, and a beautiful little boy holding his hand, beaming up at him. He was just exiting Scotland Yard's headquarters, and Lau heard a name whispered through the people before something happened that entirely took his mind off of discovering his identity.

The little boy looked straight at him and smiled. It was a sweet, innocent smile, but echoing with haunting hints of something more than what he appeared on the surface. It appeared almost more than human, otherworldly and delicate.

The boy held his gaze, still smiling that haunting, ethereal smile. Lau broke the trance first, looking away and disappearing back into the crowd. He had done what he had come here to do. He had learned the man's identity; the Earl Phantomhive.

From then on, Lau was a slave to his own urges, and he used his own connections to do some digging. He quickly discovered the Earl's other name, the Queen's Guard Dog.

Still Lau pressed on, fascinated by the man, by the woman, and most of all, by their little boy. He made himself noticeable; he became a notable figure in the Underworld. He kept an ear out for the man's missions and sent out useful information in the form of rumors, knowing that they would reach the Earl's ears. He would soon grow used to hearing the name Lau; that was what he was waiting for.

Finally, Lau became important enough for Vincent to come to him, and still Lau pressed further.

He hadn't yet forgotten the smile of the boy who was the man's son.

And so Lau stuck close, maintaining a certain level of reliability with the man, aiming for one, single privilege. Finally, the day came, and Vincent invited Lau into his home.

**Flashback**

_Lau followed Vincent into the large manor house, through a few rooms, and finally entering the sitting room. There, Rachel, Vincent's wife, was kneeling on the ground, playing with a young boy. Lau recognized him instantly, that first glimpse, that smile, vivid in his mind._

_Vincent shut the door and the boy shot to his feet, whirling around with a wide smile. "Daddy!"_

_In just moments, the boy's gaze had fallen on Lau once again, and his smile widened a little. Lau opened his eyes, just a little, looking down at the child who suddenly resembled a kitten who'd found his unwary mouse. "Who is this, Daddy?"_

_"This is Lau, Ciel. An informant and the owner of a local opium den. Lau, this is Ciel, my son."_

_Ciel smiled again up at Lau, and this time it was even more. It was sweet and innocent. It was haunting and ethereal. It was sly, predatory, and dangerous, and it sent shivers up Lau's spine. "Hello, Lau."_

_Lau returned it with a placid smile of his own. "Hello, little Lord Earl."_

_Because that was what the boy was. The child of the Watchdog. A miniature Vincent, with all the danger of his father and more, because the child was sweet and innocent and deceptive._

_He continued to smile as the boy returned his attention to Vincent, asking question after question._

_This was a family worth following._

**End Flashback**

And follow that family he did. Even now, Lau still remembered that day, that last smile, with startling clarity, etched into his mind's eye. Those very few times that Ciel smiled now served as his eternal reminder of why Lau followed Ciel Phantomhive, the little Lord Earl.

It reminded him why he didn't have what it took to play Ciel's game.

* * *

**Was that okay? Believable? I hope so. Please review! Sebastian is next!**


	6. Sebastian

**A/N: Gah... I forgot, when I promised to do Sebastian's, that Sebastian is SO not my strong suit. -.- Here he is nonetheless.**

**Title: Ethereal**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: K+**

**Pairings: Rachel/Vincent, onesided Madam Red/Vincent, and onesided various!characters/Ciel, Ciel/Elizabeth**

**Genre: Oh, god, I don't know. Family/Romance?**

**Warnings: This could easily be counted as excessive fangirling... that wasn't my intention. Promise! Oh, and implied pedophilia, too.**

**Summary: The darkly enticing Vincent Phantomhive came first. Then was the bright, happy Rachel Phantomhive. And finally the purely enchanting son, Ciel. But they all shared one quality. They were spellbinding - ethereal, one could say...**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

Sebastian was no exception, though he never once met the two elder Phantomhives. Their son was more than enough for him.

The first thing, the quality that attracted his attention first, was the lack of fear in the face of death. There was only anger in the cry that rang in his mind, and if that was not enough to bring him near, then the untouched purity of the soul that screamed was.

**Flashback**

_Sebastian was hungry. Though he loathed the mundane souls of the streets, he didn't currently have the patience to seek out a soul of worth to contract with, and so there he was, striding down the street with every intention of finding a random, but filling meal._

_Then he heard it, just on the edge of his awareness. A cry, a scream, a roar of anger and determination. _

_"Someone! Anyone! Save me NOW!"_

_The soul behind the loud cry must have attracted every demon, strong and weak, in a hundred mile radius, but it was close to Sebastian. He would have to be fast to make it there first, but once he had reached it, that soul was _his, _and his alone._

_He morphed into his more demonic mist form, rushing toward the source of the call. Around the spot, he could feel scores of other demons closing in on it, but he was the closest. That soul was HIS!_

_That soul… it was perfect. Untouched, cloaked in darkness, young and raw, but bathed in fear and rage, hate and hurt. Beautiful. Pristine. _Perfect.

_He touched down in a room, a summoning circle. Around a small figure were masked people all around, everyone staring at him. Good._

_He glanced around, knowing that he had already won. _His.

_He ignored the humans' pathetic cries. A few attracted his attention somewhat, but each one received a muttered, "No." They were not perfect. They were not _that _soul._

_Finally, his hellfire eyes landed on the small figure in the middle._

_"Oh. Well, aren't you a very small master."_

**End Flashback**

Once he had identified his little master, it was obvious. Despite being naked, lying prone on a table with a bloody wound, little Ciel Phantomhive's figure demanded respect and bespoke authority. He would not tolerate less than the best, his body language said. And he didn't.

Arrogant child. Not that he would have it any other way.

Then there was his features; his graceful, angelic figure said one thing, wide eyes that pierced and examined and inevitably found wanting. His words, venomous and angry and so deliciously _cruel_, were completely different, marking him out without question as an unmistakable devil. That was something to truly admire, and Sebastian did. It was truly worthy of a demon, but it was with that true, simple _mean _quality that all humans in his experience possessed, exacerbated to a delightful degree by burning hate. Yes, Sebastian cherished that cruelty, and the hatred that defined Ciel as he knew him.

And then one more thing: His attitude whilst on duty. Cold indifference. Pure, unadulterated indifference, like that of a reaper severing a human's Cinematic Record.

His master confused even him, oftentimes. It amused him so.

In fact, Sebastian thought that it was only his master's human scent that prevented other beings from believing him to be inhuman. Without it, he could easily be made out to be any of the three creatures of death. Sebastian firmly believed that this was why he was captured so often, for what human could resist such a creature as that? Even he, a demon, had his trouble, only just keeping from claiming that delicious soul early.

Of course, it may also help that his master always seemed to know when he was thinking of doing so, a fact that was in itself extraordinary. His master never failed to surprise him, a pleasure in itself, for he was very difficult to surprise after so many centuries of life. Almost everyone was predictable. Not Ciel. Never Ciel.

There was more, naturally. With Ciel, there was _always _more.

**Flashback**

_A scream ripped through the manor, but Sebastian was not concerned. It was simple enough to conclude that his Young Master was once again caught in a nightmare. _

_Nonetheless, he quickly made his way to the Earl's bedroom, and opened the door._

_Ciel was thrashing in his bedcovers, face screwed up in fear and pain. Sebastian smirked._

_He was beautiful when he was like this. His Young Master did not often show fear, but when he slept, everything was visible on his face, an open book for him to read at leisure. Every cry from the boy's mouth, every tear from those closed eyes betrayed his fear, walls broken down for all to see, and Sebastian could not resist the urge to, just for a moment, stop and watch, a small smirk curling his lips._

_Beautiful._

His.

_"Sebastian!"_

_Ah. His master was calling him. He stepped forward and called lightly, "Young Master, you must wake up now."_

_With a gasp, Ciel sat up straight, but he was not awake, precisely. Still caught in that half-asleep state, he was, inconceivably, an even more striking sight like this. Released from the depths of his nightmare but not quite from his fear, he was wide-eyed, blue and lavender filled with a delightful agony of the heart. He shook violently, and when Sebastian tried to step forward, he flinched away._

_"Stay back!" he snarled. Even in the clutches of fear, he was still angry and defiant. "D-don't touch me!"_

_His voice shook as badly as his body, and Sebastian stayed back. Were it not required of him, he would have been content to stand and observe the boy's fright for an eternity, but alas, he must end this fleeting wonder._

_He turned away to pick up a small pot of warmed milk he kept just for this purpose. "I see the Young Master has had a nightmare again."_

**End Flashback**

Though the beauty of his fear was fleeting, it was not as if the rest of him paled in comparison. One could say that the boy had an ethereal, supernatural air about him, and Sebastian would not disagree. How could one refute an undeniable fact?

People wondered why Sebastian served his Young Master, but he never once forgot. The cruelty, the hatred, the inhuman qualities instilled in a young human boy, an endless supply of surprises, that _delicious _soul… And that simply _exquisite _fear, devastating and rare…

Yes, Sebastian would be quite happy to serve his Young Master Ciel for a very long time. A very long time indeed… not that he would ever let the boy know that.

* * *

**And that was Sebastian. Yeah... a little emphasis on the fear... and maybe I should have done a flashback for the cruelty, but one, it didn't fit, and two, it's not like we don't see plenty of that in the manga. Right? Ah, well. I'm just gonna put this up now. Please review!**


	7. Mey-rin

**A/N: Aaaanddd so now I'm updating this. Huh, I really have been in a mood to write a lot in recent times... I hope this lasts for a good long while, I'm getting a lot done.**

**Title: Ethereal**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: K+**

**Pairings: Rachel/Vincent, onesided Madam Red/Vincent, and onesided various!characters/Ciel, Ciel/Elizabeth**

**Genre: Oh, god, I don't know. Family/Romance?**

**Warnings: This could easily be counted as excessive fangirling... that wasn't my intention. Promise! Oh, and implied pedophilia, too.**

**Summary: The Phantomhive family was special. Undeniably human, but very, very special, and many fell victim to their Pied Pipe. Because each and every one of them was spellbinding... Ethereal, one could say...**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

Mey-rin hadn't known Ciel for very long, but already she watched him with hawklike brown eyes, and then later, didn't. Because she didn't need to in order to predict his moves.

Already, it was as if she had been a loyal servant to the Phantomhives for years. She hadn't, though – just two, two short years. But she felt more alive than she ever had before, and she owed it all to Ciel and Sebastian. _Everything. _Even in the beginning, she trusted Ciel more than she trusted herself.

**Flashback**

_The breath whooshed out of Mey-rin's lungs as she was shoved roughly against the hard ground. Her head was tilted back – the position, while uncomfortable, bordering on painful, allowed her to see part of the apparent head of the house, a mere boy. She'd been sent with a picture to use to identify him, a gun, and instructions to kill the boy. No name. She didn't need a name. A name made him a person. Without a name, he was just another target._

_His back was turned, and he did not remedy that as he spoke, his accent refined and his voice stern. "What is it, Sebastian?"_

_Sebastian? That must be the man who was pinning her to the ground, immovable as a mountain. Without her permission, she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. It wasn't a bad name, she mused. Sebastian... Her blush deepened, but she was jolted from her thoughts when the man replied, not even having the decency to sound strained from the effort of keeping her down._

_"I located the assassin sent to kill you, my lord."_

_The boy's stance changed slightly, the cold indifference replaced by pure irritation. "And why did you not just kill them?"_

_"If you'll recall, sir, you yourself mentioned considering taking a sniper on staff. I thought that this one might do nicely."_

_Mey-rin bristled, feeling a strong sense of indignation. She wasn't an object to be picked up or tossed aside at will, and they had no right to talk about her as if she was!_

_All thought of this, however, disappeared when the boy turned around. Since he was all the way across the room, which was in no way small, he was hardly blurry at all, and what she could see of him stole her breath away._

_The picture hadn't done him justice, she thought dimly. A mature, cerulean eye probed deep into her own, and the way he held himself bespoke a strong sense of confidence and pride. Young, smooth features, flawless and pale, were darkened with a mildly disapproving frown. His one-eyed gaze swept up and down Mey-rin, studying her closely._

_"And how is she special?"_

_"Her eyes, my lord. They are as a hawk's, and no matter how far something may be, she sees every detail of it."_

_The boy 'hm'ed. "What about up close? Is her vision impaired?"_

_"I believe so, Young Master."_

_The single blue eye met hers and she could see the decision being made in the expressive sapphire orb. She held her breath as she waited for it to be voiced aloud. "Very well. Take her on, train her as a maid, and buy her a pair of glasses. She will do."_

_He had turned away again after that and she was halfway down the stairs before it occurred to her that the course of her life had just been determined right over her head._

**End Flashback**

Before that day, Mey-rin had always been her own master. She decided her occupation, which jobs she took on, and even how to go about it. Of course, that hadn't ended well – she was unhappy in that life, losing her passion, simply going through the motions.

The single best decision of her life hadn't even been made by her.

When she had control of her life, it had spiraled down and down, and she realized that she no longer trusted herself with her own freedom. Not with what she'd done with it, where it had put her.

Ciel taking her control from her was the best thing that had ever happened to her. He knew how to use it better than she did.

**Flashback**

_As he left, Ciel looked over his shoulder at the servants._

_"Protect the manor while I'm gone," he ordered. "Do not let _anyone _in unless you know them. Understood?"_

_"Yes, Young Master!" Mey-rin chorused with the other two servants._

_They didn't really need to know why. It was enough that they had been told; their Young Master hadn't led them wrong yet. Every decision had been for the best._

_He wouldn't let them down._

**End Flashback**

People, Mey-rin had come to realize, didn't really know Ciel. Or at least, not the ones who didn't like him, didn't watch him.

Mey-rin saw more than anyone knew. She saw how Sebastian's eyes always tracked Ciel's movements, how Lau's body angled toward the boy. She saw how Madam Red looked at her nephew with wistful red eyes and how Edward regarded him with a strange sort of suspicion. Those were people who _knew _Ciel, who realized that he wasn't who people thought he was.

He never pretended not to have secrets. That was one of the first things she noticed about him. Most people who had secrets, the sort of people most thought that Ciel was, pretended to hide nothing. Not Ciel. Ciel Phantomhive had secrets, and he made sure everyone knew it.

He wasn't who people thought he was.

**Flashback**

_Mey-rin gasped as Finny accidentally ran into her and something flew from her face._

_"Ah! Oh, no! Mey-rin, I'm so sorry!"_

_Finny, still unused to controlling his strength, had bumped into her hard. She barely heard his frantic apologies, though – her glasses had tumbled from her face, and she could only watch helplessly, horror-struck, as they fell to the hard marble floor below. They turned over and over as they fell farther and farther away, becoming clearer with each twist, as if to mock her, to torture her._

_When they finally shattered against the ground, she could make out every miniscule piece in excruciating detail._

_"My glasses!"_

_The words burst from her mouth, propelled by stricken horror. The Young Master had given her those!_

_She stiffened as she heard familiar, even footsteps, and then, as if to taunt her further, his voice. "Mey-rin? What happened?"_

_She turned to face him with wide eyes, but he wasn't looking at her. Rather, he drew level with her and leaned over the banister to look down with cool indifference. His voice matched his demeanor as he stated, "I see you've broken your glasses."_

_She froze._

_Ignoring her, he turned back the way he came. "Come, Mey-rin."_

_She followed without question, terrified._

_The short walk to their destination seemed to take an eternity, and by the time they had reached the door, she felt like she was about to faint. Ciel opened the door to the empty room and led the way in, across to a desk set with a little drawer, which he slid open, still not looking at her. The breath left her lungs as she realized what he was holding._

_"Young Master…"_

_"I thought it was inevitable that, with you three, your glasses would be broken eventually," he explained, holding out a brand-new pair of unbroken glasses as if they weren't one of the most precious things in the world to her, one of the most meaningful, a symbol of her new life. "So I decided to have these made in advance. A preemptive measure, if you will."_

_Reverently, she took the glasses from his hand and slipped them onto her face. Her Young Master's face, resigned and slightly amused, slid into wondrous focus._

_"Thank you, Young Master." For everything._

**End Flashback**

She knew her Young Master, but always, he surprised her.

There was one last thing that she would never, ever tell anyone. Though he tried so hard to seem like an adult, to seem strong, Mey-rin had learned how to see past Ciel's walls, so thick and sturdy. In reality, the young boy was vulnerable. Painfully vulnerable. It brought out something in Mey-rin, an unfamiliar feeling, and heretofore unheard-of in her. There was the pride of place, that he trusted her so close to him, but there was more.

There was a need to protect.

And she would protect him.

* * *

**There we go! So that's all well and good, I should think. It turned out all right, if not quite as reverent as the other ones. More of a general character study of Mey-rin's relationship with Ciel... ah, well. Please review!**


	8. Bard

**A/N: Heheheh... Hi? I'm sorry it took so long to update this story. Bard is hard. *frown***

**Title: Ethereal**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: K+**

**Pairings: Rachel/Vincent, onesided Madam Red/Vincent, and onesided various!characters/Ciel, Ciel/Elizabeth**

**Genre: Oh, god, I don't know. Family/Romance?**

**Warnings: This could easily be counted as excessive fangirling... that wasn't my intention. Promise! Oh, and implied pedophilia, too.**

**Summary: The Phantomhive family was special. Undeniably human, but very, very special, and many fell victim to their Pied Pipe. Because each and every one of them was spellbinding... Ethereal, one could say...**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

Bard had other thoughts about Ciel, but he, too, was trapped by the little lord. Because Ciel was very good at trapping.

This was something that Bard admired about Ciel. He was steady, he was firm, and he was very, very good at trapping. Bard had a lot of experience in spotting traps, and so every time that Ciel set one, Bard knew.

That didn't mean that he could do anything about it.

**Flashback**

_Bard shuffled after Sebastian, his head down._

_They had lost. He had known it was coming, known that it was a trap from the start, but still, they had lost._

_Now everyone, save for him, was dead. Out on the battlefield, with no way of obtaining food, water, or shelter, he'd known that he was going to die, too._

_And then Sebastian had come, offering this job at this manor. As a chef, and, more importantly, as a guard._

_He couldn't even cook._

_Sebastian reached up and knocked on the door lightly. "Young Master?"_

_"Sebastian," a voice returned from inside, sounding annoyed. "Come in, what is it?"_

_Sebastian gave Bard a sharp look, a silent warning to remain respectful, before pushing open the door. Bard didn't know what he expected to find; it wasn't this._

_On the other side was a boy. Not a man, as he had thought this 'Earl' would be, but a young boy, who looked delicate, fragile, even. As he turned his head, Bard saw a cold blue eye and an eyepatch. His own eyes widened a little._

_Despite the clear physical fragility of the Earl Phantomhive, equally clear was a hidden strength, a spirit of steel, visible in that one blue eye, which turned to him and narrowed._

_"Who is this, Sebastian?"_

_The question was sharp and expectant, his gaze unwavering, and Bard decided, in that moment, that he didn't mind this job as a guard._

_A spirit that strong didn't deserve to be done in by a fragile body, and so he would do his best to protect both._

_In the next moment, he realized that Earl Ciel Phantomhive had trapped him, too._

**End Flashback**

Ciel had trapped Bard, not with anything physical, just by way of his personality, and Bard knew it. But still, he felt that he had to protect him. And he had. He had protected Ciel, his new Young Master, and hadn't once regretted it. Ciel wasn't what he showed to the world. He wasn't as fragile as he looked. But still, something in Bard wanted to keep him from harm, and so he did.

There was something to admire in Ciel Phantomhive. Strength of spirit, strength of _will, _and weaknesses hidden away, out of sight, out of mind.

But Bard saw, if only sometimes. Not always, but sometimes.

**Flashback**

_When Ciel returned after one of his absences, late in the summer, during the time of Jack the Ripper, he was tired. That much was clear._

_Not just physically tired, Bard realized. Bard glanced at Mey-rin for confirmation, and her worried eyes, almost invisible behind thick lenses, gave him his answer. She had noticed, too._

_Ciel's eyes were dull, his gaze flickering over them before seeming to accept their presence without a word, just looking back up to Sebastian and giving a quiet nod._

_"Young Master?" Bard asked, almost tentatively. "Somethin' wrong?"_

_And something flickered back to life in Ciel's gaze at being questioned. His head lifted and he glared at Bard, arms crossed. "Nothing that concerns you," he snapped, gaze fiery. He let out a huff as Bard backed away and looked back to Sebastian, his eyes no longer dull or lifeless. "Sebastian, I am retiring."_

_Sebastian inclined his head. "Yes, my lord," he acknowledged, voice almost quiet, and Bard realized that yes, something was very wrong, no matter what Ciel said._

_Later, Sebastian quietly informed them of Madam Red's death, and Bard realized that Ciel was strong even when he was weak._

_He wondered why Ciel felt that he had to be._

**End Flashback**

And yet, as strong as Ciel was, there was clearly something – Bard didn't know what – that he couldn't overcome, some part of his past. There had to be.

Because Bard had rarely seen him smile.

Mey-rin, forced to be a sniper for many years of her life, killing to make a living, smiled and blushed and loved all the same, despite a past that would justify otherwise.

Finny, who had spent most of his life locked in a small white room, and much of that being experimented on, was one of the most lighthearted people you could find.

And Bard, who had lost everything, smiled, too.

But not Ciel.

And Bard wondered what was in that boy's past that kept him from letting go, because he was strong, and he may brood, but he didn't linger. Not on regret.

Not like Bard did.

* * *

**Hm. It's normalish again. I wonder if this trend will continue... Ah, well. I hope Bard was in character and that you liked this! Please review!**


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